Serious Emotions
by Cybaster
Summary: When two hearts don't hold the same importance in a relationship... (Flame Dragon 2 story, ArlesxLorna.)


_Author's Note: I would've typed this in Chinese if I had the choice, seeing as how Flame Dragon 2 is a Chinese game and the names do go a lot better if I didn't have to translate it seven ways from now…but, obviously, the English version of this fic came first because FF.N couldn't display Chinese if their lives depended on it. -.-;;; I actually had half of this fic translated into Chinese, character by character, and posted it somewhere else a **long** time ago, but it has since been lost…_

_With all that ranting aside, here's the English story anyway. Anyone who would actually like to translate this into Chinese, be my guest because I'll actually be eternally grateful for it._

_Disclaimer__: "Flame Dragon 2: Legend of Golden Castle", Arles, Lorna, Saul, Helia and all characters and places are created by the fine company known as the Dynasty International Information Company. For most of the translated names, I've attempted to at least make as good a translation as possible. I've created nothing here, nevertheless._

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Serious Emotions  
A Flame Dragon 2 story by Cybaster

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Lorna Scardia could only guess in misery at how four small words and an exclamation mark can tell her so much.

_You can't be serious!_

Admittedly, Lorna had never thought anybody --- much less him --- would tell her that, and those words pretty much surprised her in a way only Lorna herself could know…or would want to, here in Lortadia. Normally, those four words by themselves meant little. Somehow, somewhere along the way, it meant nearly everything to her, especially now, after that. Lorna had a good idea what it all meant, and she didn't like any of those ideas.

At the simplest, it at least meant that Lorna did something wrong and her entire life was going downhill because of it.

It meant that she did something wrong, and it made Lorna wonder why exactly was she doing what had happened last night, and long before. Why had she followed Princess Helia to faraway Lortadia? Why did she become a representative for the Princess' knights here? Why did she do what she did, said what she said that last night? Why was she still here now? Why did she have to let herself be told that?

Why did she feel so hurt and confused when she was told?

Alone behind closed doors, Lorna curled herself up on her bed and tried to think of those convenient million ways that things might have been different and with each way, Lorna's heart kept sinking until it could go no lower. She felt terrible and looked terrible even to herself --- her silver-white hair messy and out-of-place, eyes red and aching, clothes ruffled and stained with tears. The fact remained that Lorna had messed things up, had messed herself up, and, cursing her own stupidity, she knew very well that things could never be mended now.

If she had never said that to him, she certainly would not be feeling so miserable…

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_Days after she returned to the Kingdom of Arhaze from her and Princess Helia's latest adventure and victory, the lady knight Lorna had cheerily followed the Princess as an envoy to the faraway Kingdom of Lortadia where Saul, the de facto leader of the adventure they took part in merely days ago, had taken up rulership. Both Lorna and Helia certainly had more than one reason to go, other than establishing friendships; for Helia, it was a chance to both take a look at the new land, and to see Saul again, whom Helia loved and was given permission to marry. For Lorna, however, it was much more to see Arles again more than anything else._

_Arles was a knight of Lortadia and Saul's childhood friend, and had been already there, fighting alongside Saul, at the start of Saul's adventure. Missing out on the celebrations at Arhaze, Arles had left hastily with Saul back to Lortadia after the adventure and Lorna had promised that she would see him there when Helia made her formal trip. She was more than enthusiastic to go; Lorna had missed him dearly and when King Kline III had personally written a letter recommending Lorna to remain at Lortadia as a liaison, Lorna was definitely overjoyed to take to the task and knew that Saul would certainly accept her._

_Almost immediately upon arriving at Lortadia, however, it was blatantly obvious to Lorna that Arles hadn't missed her as much as she had missed him. She was really joyed to see him again, but other than the friendly greetings, Arles seemed to shy away from Lorna every time the prospect of doing something together emerged. This, of course, went on for the next few days that Helia and Lorna remained in Lortadia and Lorna was, of course, dully disappointed whenever Arles did that, although she never admitted it out loud._

_However, Lorna's heart ached more and more whenever Arles shyed away from her and at the same time, she felt even more longing for his attention or even any possible moment of his time. She was a knight; she learned to be persistent when she needed to be and Lorna kept telling herself that it was what she should do and that, someday, Arles would stop doing that and finally listen, and give her a chance to let her feelings out. However, it didn't seem likely, at best. Lorna began to get the idea that Arles could keep shying away and with each passing day she grew more and more anxious, as if somehow knowing that Arles was deliberately avoiding her._

_Days grew into weeks, and Lorna couldn't take the anxiety anymore. She felt that she had to tell him soon. Talking to Helia helped her hold her anxiety in considerably, but otherwise did nothing for Lorna in the way of progress._

_So by the time the last day of Helia's stay arrived, Lorna was almost desperate. Unable to talk to anyone but Helia about her and Arles, Lorna was very much hurting inside and needed to get things off her chest…and with Helia gone, Lorna would finally be alone in Lortadia. Beneath the desperation, Lorna still had some hope that things between her and Arles would be better, although it was a small hope, and Lorna wasn't going to give up until she told him how she felt._

_Shortly before the parting banquet, Lorna had finally decided to tell him. And that night, when she finally managed to get a chance to talk to Arles alone under the stars, that was what she did._

_Lorna finally told him that she loved him._

_Lorna could still remember Arles's reaction vividly and how much she hurt seeing it: his jaw fell open in surprise, his eyes looking at her without the acceptance and love Lorna had been hoping for, but with disbelief and denial, his head shaking at her rapidly. And then, as if Lorna hadn't been devastated and surprised enough, Arles made the reply._

_"You can't be serious, Lorna!"_

_Those words did it for Lorna and told her everything she didn't want to hear: Arles never cared about her, not nearly as much as she had for him, and at that moment of realization Lorna pieced together why Arles was always avoiding her and how foolish and annoying she must've looked around him, to him. She didn't stay for the banquet after that --- Lorna didn't need to and she certainly didn't want to._

_She's had enough bad realizations for one night, and right now, all she wanted to do was leave. All she wanted to do was to stop hurting._

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"Lorna?"

The lady knight didn't appear in the Lortadia court today to send Helia off, and already Lorna had decided not to appear at all, either. As if it was a solution, Lorna was almost inclined towards merely locking herself in her room for all eternity and shutting herself out. It would certainly keep her away from everything else that may hurt her, and it would certainly keep herself away from being a further 'embarassment' on Arles's behalf, and her own. Lorna ignored the gentle knocking on the wooden door, and shut out the voice partially --- she couldn't face anyone, not now.

"Please open the door, Lorna. It's only me."

Recognizing Helia's voice outside the door, Lorna's sense of loyalty temporarily overrid her need to be left alone and walked towards the door with reluctant steps. Making the best effort to make herself presentable again, Lorna breathed deeply once and opened the door. Helia's neat brown-haired, brown-eyed beauty and grace of movement immediately greeted her, but she was smiling only slightly; Almost all the time Lorna had known the Princess of Arhaze, Helia always had a bright smile on her face even in combat and it certainly didn't take a Sage to figure out that whatever it was bothering Lorna, it was worrying Helia as well.

"I didn't see you this morning at the hall, Lorna." Helia began. "Is everything okay?"

Lorna did the best to smile back, although she was not in the mood to. However, Lorna knew that she shouldn't worry Helia and that was what mattered. "I'm fine, your Highness." Lorna answered slightly quietly. "I'm sorry. I just…slept in a little."

Helia's eyes changed to an expression of doubt. "You don't know how to make excuses if your life depended on it! You never sleep in at all whenever there was an occasion, Lorna. Are you sure you're alright?"

To that Lorna had no reply. She lowered her head silently, avoiding Helia's look.

"May I come in for a bit?"

Lorna nodded and backed away from the door, taking her place back on the bed, facing away from Helia and secretly hoping that the Princess would leave her alone. Normally Lorna would never turn Helia away, but she knew what was coming and didn't want to have the matter brought up again, no matter who it was that was bringing it up.

Helia sat down next to Lorna and looked at her worriedly. Sighing once, Helia spoke again.

"Saul told me everything."

Lorna kept quiet, without much energy in her.

"I know how you feel about all this, Lorna. I'm sorry it had to happen."

Lorna only gave a dim nod in reply.

"Me and Saul didn't think Arles would actually tell you off like that. He didn't seem like the type to do that to you in the past few weeks." Helia continued.

"No…" Lorna finally replied, shaking her head sadly. "He didn't really tell me off at all, your Highness."

"Do call me Helia." Helia answered, trying to be as gentle as she could. "Well, he didn't directly, I know that. Whatever he said, though, it did tell you something. And you will have to see him again sometime, Lorna. You can't keep avoiding him forever."

Lorna sighed and decided to make a clean breast of it. "I can at least try…It told me I was wrong to attach myself onto him like that, Helia. I shouldn't have kept bothering him at all, trying to get every single chance to do things together with him, to talk to him…he probably thought I was annoying to him, which I most likely was!"

"Well, admittedly the way you're trying to get a hold of him is a bit excessive, but I don't think you are annoying him much at all, Lorna." Helia sighed.

"I did scare him away..." Lorna answered miserably.

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he's always avoiding me. I know that now, but I should've seen it then! I should never have kept trying to cling to him, Helia!" Lorna cried out, turning to Helia in distraught. "It's what happened to Lady Minnie and General Lordman, remember? But I've done something wrong, and it scared him away! I've made the same mistake!"

Helia nodded slightly. Being members of the Arhaze Royal Court, both Helia and Lorna had to know about what happened to Minnie and Lordman, both of whom had fought alongside Saul on their adventure at least for one battle or others. General Lordman found himself stuck when he became caught in the middle of a love entanglement between his wife, who was the sister of the Arhaze Monarch, and Lady Minnie who was a starting Knight back then. Subsequently, Lordman had requested to be transferred to duty at the Arhaze border just to avoid Minnie, and that broke her heart, too, causing Minnie to devote her time to sword training just to forget the pain.

Lorna had only realized now, probably blinded by love before like Minnie was, that she was going onto the same path with her and Arles, and Lorna was now quite sure that it was too late for redemption. Minnie had forgotten, but Lordman never did; why could Lorna even think that Arles would ever forget what she did and feeling embarassed about her for it? "I know, Lorna."

"It never healed for General Lordman, Helia…" Lorna continued, whispering hoarsely as her voice died away with her resolution, and lowered her head into her hands in despair. "What am I supposed to do now? Arles probably doesn't want me anywhere near him! I'll only make him feel awkward!"

"Lorna…" Helia paused to recompose herself as she seemed to realize something. "You…still care about Arles, don't you?"

Lorna managed a nod.

"Then why don't you talk to him again?" Helia offered. "Work something out?"

"Because he'll just avoid me again." Lorna replied quietly.

Helia shook her head. "Try to. You'll have to talk to him sometime."

"I'll only annoy him more."

"Then I'll talk to him for you if you want, Lorna." Helia offered. "You're my friend. I do want to help you, and it'll only mean I'll have to leave Lortadia a day later."

"No!" Lorna blurted out at Helia before she knew what she was doing and, realizing it in embarassment, immediately turned away. "N…no, no, thank you, Helia. I guess he doesn't need anybody to bring it up to him again, either. He doesn't need that bothering him again, not any more than I do. He hates me now."

Helia sighed at a loss. "He probably just doesn't know you're serious, Lorna."

"That's the point…" Lorna exclaimed weakly and whispered without direction, lost in her thoughts and misery. "I'm annoying him because he doesn't think I'm ever serious about him! He probably thinks I'm having some mere girlish obsession about him that he can't live with…That's why he's avoiding me, Helia…I can't see him again, both of us will only feel even worse if I did…"

"Then…" Helia began, but only stared at Lorna in confusion and sympathy. "What…do you plan to do now, Lorna?"

Lorna was silent for what seemed like hours, thinking of that, but she knew only one thing she could do. Arles will never love her back, Lorna knew, and the best thing she could do now for him was to get out of his life completely, like Lordman had tried to get Minnie out of his. That way, he'll forget about her, she'll stop feeling hurt, she'll stop annoying him and he'll never have to feel embarassed around her, about her, ever again. No matter how much she would miss Arles in the long run, Lorna knew it was for the best. She had to do this now.

"I…I'd like to return to Arhaze with you, your Highness." Lorna solemnly answered.

"But, Lorna!" Helia pleaded immediately. "You wanted this duty as a Lortadia liaison, and Saul accepted father's recommendation to have you in Lortadia already! Isn't this what you wanted?"

Lorna seemed suddenly determined, however, with whatever will she had left in her. "I won't be happy here and neither will Saul and Arles, your Highness, as long as I'm here. Not anymore, I'll only make things worse if I stayed. Please let me leave."

Helia sighed in resignation and got up to leave. "I'm still not thinking you're right and I still won't, but a…alright, Lorna. I'll talk to Saul and you can leave with me tomorrow. But I want you to promise me one thing." Lorna nodded slightly. Helia took a deep breath and continued.

"At least try to tell Arles how you seriously feel."

Lorna's eyes darted up towards Helia in protest, but Helia was quick to stop her with a stern look. "You'll at least have to say goodbye to him and Saul before you leave, Lorna. Do this. I promise you'll at least feel better if you do before you leave Lortadia for good." Helia put a hand on Lorna's shoulder in reassurance and Lorna reluctantly agreed with a nod --- she knew Helia was right in that Lorna had to at least say goodbye, and how could she refuse Helia now?

Helia smiled once and promptly left Lorna alone; Lorna sighed again and fell weakly onto her bed again, thinking of how she was ever going to accomplish her part of Helia's promise without her and Arles feeling awkward again. It was by no means easy; Lorna didn't know whether it felt better that she would no longer annoy Arles or worse that she would never see him again. But she still cared about him, and Arles at least deserved a farewell from her or an apology, or both. At the very least, Lorna also knew, it would bring Arles considerable relief if Lorna told him that she won't be bothering him anymore. Talking to Helia about it hadn't exactly solved her problem, but at least Lorna knew what she had to do.

And however reluctant that she was inside, she was going to do it.

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Lorna never left her room for the remainder of her last day in Lortadia, and by the next morning, Lorna's body ached nearly as much as her heart did. Thinking of the words to say was even more difficult than she thought they were; trying to keep her emotions from feeling hurt again at being rejected, or feeling guilty and awkward at making Arles feel embarassed around her, or feeling longing for Arles at not going to see him again, Lorna very nearly didn't get around to finishing her words. Also, there were many ways of wording something like that and Lorna had to consider them all, knowing that using the wrong wording can be equally disasterous and not wanting to mess this message up ever again.

As a result Lorna didn't get to sleep at all at night, but in the end it allowed her to finally fulfill her promise to Helia, and bid farewell to Arles and Saul as she had to do. As the sun rose, Lorna felt a great weight lifted off of her; she had said what she had to, and now, things would be as they are.

With a final, fatigued check of her room and luggage, Lorna picked up her belongings, looked once more around the room she had stayed in for the brief time she was in Lortadia, and with a sigh decided to leave it for good. With a small tug, Lorna pulled open the door and stepped out of the hallway.

"Did you tell him?"

Helia was waiting for Lorna in the corridor already and she was, without a doubt, concerned by the look in her eyes. Lorna turned to her and nodded. "Yes, I did, your Highness."

"How'd it go? What'd Arles say?" Helia asked curiously.

Lorna shrugged uneasily and breathed once. "Well, your Highness…he didn't say anything yet."

"What?" Helia asked in confusion. "Didn't he say anything back to you?"

Lorna shook her head. "He still isn't awake yet to read it, and when he does, King Saul will get my farewell for him as well."

In sudden comprehension, Helia blinked at Lorna and nodded mutely. "You wrote a letter."

"Yes." Lorna replied simply, lowering her head in sadness. "It's best, your Highness, that it was this way. Arles will feel less intimidated when he's reading my words while I'm not around. By the time he reads it, I'll have left Lortadia."

Helia sighed. "But don't you want to hear how he feels about it?"

"It doesn't matter, your Highness." Lorna looked away from Helia into the corridor behind her, towards where Arles's room is relatively located, with a half-sad, half-dreamy look in her eyes, and Helia could tell that Lorna had wanted it this way. "He'll know how I feel about him and that I'm serious about him…and that'll be enough for me. I don't need to hear his reply this time, your Highness."

"I see…" Helia answered quietly. "Are you sure you don't want to see him one last time?"

Lorna gave another nod, remembering her resolution despite how much she did want to. It would be nice for Lorna to see Arles one last time, but it would certainly bring to him that inevitable feeling of annoyance and embarassment and that was what neither of them ever needed. "Yes."

Helia sighed, resigned. "Then we'd better leave now, Lorna."

"Yes, your Highness."

With a quiet sigh and a shrug, Lorna followed Princess Helia away from the corridors of Lortadia castle and, however unwilling she would be to leave the one person that had meant nearly everything to her over the past few weeks over the days to come, left the sad place in silence.

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"The boat will be at the docks in a few minutes." Helia explained, taking a seat on a tree stump near the Lortadia shoreline to rest and setting down her luggage gently next to the stump. "Let's sit down for awhile."

Lorna took a relaxed breath, perhaps the first in weeks, and let her eyes wander over the waters of the shoreline and the sunrise that was taking place over it as she let herself sit steadily on the grass next to Helia. It did feel nice to breathe the clear, fresh air of the Lortadia shoreline again and frolicking in the cool breeze made Lorna forget her troubles at least temporarily. With the castle behind her and her feelings settled at least partially, Lorna felt at least slightly relieved at being able to put things behind her at last and do so without any pain. Struggling with the feeling of longing that was left in her at her imminent departure was still a problem, but Lorna was at least managing.

"Do you miss Arles already, Lorna?" Helia asked solemnly, and Lorna looked at her inquiringly. Then, her look changed into one of rememberance.

"A little, your Highness." Lorna replied hesitantly at first, and took a breath. "To be honest, yes. I know leaving's what would be best for both me and him, but some part of me still doesn't want to leave him. I guess…" Lorna gave a long pause of hesitation. "…I'm still going to miss seeing him again."

Helia nodded in agreement. "Helia will be fine, Lorna… and I know. I'm beginning to miss Saul already, too."

"You have a lot of time to see him, Princess Helia!" Lorna exclaimed in nonunderstanding, looking inquiringly at Helia. "It's only been a few weeks! And I'm sure his Majesty will forget about losing Ronnie some time!"

"For all we know, Saul could remember losing her for years…" Helia whispered, more to herself than Lorna, and looked intently into the water. Helia had been allowed to marry Saul if she wanted to, but knowing that Saul had lost Ronnie --- a young girl whom Saul found in Lortadia and turned out to be the cause of their past adventure --- only days ago, Helia chose wisely not to bring it up and be patient. Unlike her, Lorna knew well, Helia opted to be patient, as forgetting a lost loved one is not something that could be done in days, or even weeks. But then again, that was what Helia could do when nobody else could. "But, I'm sure someday he'll understand, so I'm not giving up at all. Lorna…" With that, Helia turned wistfully towards the lady knight beside her. "If I could be patient with Saul, why can't you give yourself another chance with Arles?"

Lorna sighed in sadness, in at least partial rememberance of the entire reason she had opted to leave Lortadia in the first place. "Your High---Helia…it's probably because for you and Saul nothing bad had really developed between you and him. For me…" Lorna sighed. "Whatever happened a night ago can't ever be fixed. A second chance is not a choice for me anymore."

"You still care about him, right?" Helia asked directly.

Lorna paused, as if trying hard to look for an answer, but replied knowing only one. "Yes."

"Then I think it's good enough a reason for you to give yourself another chance." Helia answered as directly as she had asked, and to that Lorna had nothing to reply with. Helia's advice was at least partially right, but Lorna simply wasn't sure anymore that another chance would ever work out. "If I were you, I would've done that."

Lorna and Helia were silent after that, Helia waiting for the boat, Lorna simply wanting to be left to silence, both at an obvious loss of any further words. The silence was only broken when the distant sight of a seemingly drifting boat in the distance appeared along the waters. Standing up, Helia took a deep breath and began to gather her belongings again. Lorna followed suit with a reluctant haste; she would soon leave, and everything would be as they were for her, and that meant the inevitable…and the more Lorna thought about it, the more her heart ached again with longing and she began to wonder if she was regretting her decision to leave for good. However, her persistance soon kicked in and, repeatedly telling herself that it was the right thing to do for both her and Arles, Lorna managed to put that longing away for a bit.

The boat was nearing the shore only halfway there when the sounds of rapid footfalls rang out from behind the two women; it was Lorna who heard them first despite her reverie, and instinctively she dropped her luggage and reached out for her spear in caution, standing defensively in front of Helia due to reflex while behind her the Princess drew out her crossbow preparingly.

Both Lorna and Helia prepared themselves for battle. Although uncommon or even rare at the Lortadia shoreline with all the new patrols Saul had organized lately, the threat of wandering or lurking thieves was still present and neither Lorna or Helia wanted to take chances. Against King Kline III's better judgment Helia had declined on bringing a formal escort and two people, albeit a trained and veteran knight and archer, against a band of thieves was no laughing matter. _If only Reed had travelled with us_, Lorna thought, _then we'd feel much safer. But now…_

It soon proved that the caution wasn't necessary, but Lorna soon regretted her decision.

"You could've at least woken us up, Helia." Saul chided sternly as the dark, dashing violet-haired and angular-chinned King of Lortadia firmly strode towards them, and both Helia and Lorna relaxed. Dressed in full armor, with his sword to his waist and the red bandanna he had characteristically worn with him most of the time, Saul was every bit as powerful as he at least looked, and both Lorna and Helia knew it. "I know all the goodbyes had been said yesterday, but to the very least you could've arranged for us to send you and Lorna off in the morning."

In that sense, Saul seemed to be otherwise alone --- like Helia, Saul had chosen to forgo a formal escort, but Lorna knew much better and she dreaded it already. If Saul was outside the castle for something as small as sending somebody off and not on any other adventures, Lorna realized, he would more often than not be quickly followed by…

"Lorna!"

Lorna's heart quickly sank as quickly as she herself seemed to: sure enough, another figure soon appeared from behind Saul and stood his place next to him nearly casually, polearm in hand, his light-blue, upright hair, slightly-squared chin and sharp blue eyes recognizable to Lorna even if she went blind, but obviously more exasperated than Saul seemed to be. It was Arles, Lortadia's Royal Guard Captain, Saul's childhood friend and the person Lorna's heart had pretty much firmly settled with --- and if anything, Lorna had hoped she wouldn't have had to deal with Arles before she left.

Or for Lorna, rather, had Arles having to deal with facing her before she left.

More unconsciously than not, Lorna backed slightly away, behind Helia, saying nothing and hoping to avoid the confrontation that was otherwise coming to her. "Um, why…why'd you decide to leave so suddenly, Lorna?" Arles blurted out quietly in disbelief and a very notable tinge of awkwardness, which, of course, Lorna sadly expected from him already. "As Saul…as he said, you could've at least let me---us see you and Helia safely to your boat. If nobody else, that is."

Lorna, hiding her shivering, remained quiet out of fear more than reluctance.

"You didn't need to do that, Saul." Helia answered gently. "Both you and Arles had a very busy night. I don't think you got much sleep, did you?"

Saul shrugged and looked directly behind Helia suggestively. "From the looks of it, neither did Lorna."

"Y…yes, I see…" Arles followed, whispering unsurely.

Lorna said nothing.

Helia nodded in acknowledgement. "I know. Almost seems like none of us can really settle down lately." Saul sighed quietly to himself, but otherwise didn't say anything. "Not with everything that's been happening lately. Everyone going someplace, doing something, getting together with others…"

Saul gave a slow nod, catching the hint and knowing that Helia caught his. "I know, Helia."

_Then you're not really here to see us off, are you, Saul?_ Lorna asked herself, her eyes weakly and hesitantly wandering from Saul, to Helia, to Arles who was looking away exactly like before when he was avoiding her, then back to Saul and Helia again. It didn't really matter for Lorna anymore. She turned away again, waiting.

Saul looked at Arles briefly and Helia did likewise to Lorna, then as if on cue they looked at the shoreline again and at the nearing boat, and then turned towards each other again as if exchanging eye signals. "Helia," Saul finally said, his voice both solemn and concerned. "I'll help with the luggage."

Helia gave a secret nod, understanding, and smiled. "Thank you, Saul. I appreciate it."

"…I can manage…" Lorna managed to whisper, but Saul was quick to cut her off.

"No, I insist. Here." Before Lorna could protest, Saul had already lifted up some of Lorna's luggage and was already on his way to the nearing boat. Helia smiled warmly at Lorna, patted her on the shoulder again in assurance, and went to lift her own luggage onto the boat and leave Arles and Lorna alone. For awhile, neither dared to look at each other or even speak at all. Lorna could feel the awkwardness and embarassment again, and her body shivered with those feelings, sweating in nervousness and in full, hapless anticipation of the further chiding that she knew would soon be coming from Arles.

Finally, both Arles and Lorna had mustered enough courage and turned to look at each other. As their eyes met, memories of that sad night together and before, back during their adventure, Arles remembering Lorna's apparent attachment to him and Lorna remembering her growing attachment and feelings of infatuation and love towards him, came back to them and unpleasantly both could only bite their lips and stare in a deathly silence, neither wanting to be the first to make the awkward, nervous step forward. It would be Arles who spoke first, and Lorna was bracing herself inside for the coming impact already.

"I…I, um…, um, Lorna, uh…" Arles hesitantly blurted out very quietly, although Lorna could hear every word he said audibly, echoing in her mind. Arles's hesitation and nervousness seemingly had always been around Lorna and her alone; how could she blame him for sounding reluctant at the same time when she herself is not even sure she wanted to hear what was coming to her? "…Lorna, I, uh, I…I read your letter."

Lorna nodded mutely.

"Well…well…" Arles continued uneasily, and Lorna waited. "Well…I don't know what to say to you, Lorna…"

"…Then don't…" Lorna whispered miserably, looking down and away. "You don't have to…"

"B-but I know that I have to say…something."

Lorna looked up, back at Arles, with a look that was more curious and nonunderstanding than actually dejected. "…I see…" Lorna replied.

"I guess…the first thing…" Arles shuffled uncomfortably, looking briefly around in nervousness before turning to Lorna again. "…I guess the first thing I have to tell you…is that I don't…don't feel annoyed at you."

"You don't? But…why not?" Lorna's expression changed from curiousity to utmost confusion --- although she prepared herself for the worst already this welcome change was something she hadn't really expected, and while Lorna felt slightly better inside hearing it, she still couldn't bring herself to believe Arles. Not yet. "I mean, why shouldn't you be?"

"Um…" Arles sighed, and continued. Lorna blinked disbelievingly. "…I…I never did. I never thought of you as annoying at all, even after…that night. I, well, I guess I knew what was happening…but I'm sure…sure I wasn't feeling annoyed. Not…even now."

Lorna blinked again, this time in nonunderstanding --- she wasn't seeing where Arles was going with that. "Then…what are you feeling?" She asked quietly.

Arles swallowed hard and bristled uncomfortably. "…Uneasy and nervous, I guess…"

"About what?" Lorna replied with a shiver of reluctance --- she knew the answer to that, but she had to ask. She wanted to be sure.

"About…" Arles shrunk back a step and lowered his head uneasily. "…you, I guess."

Lorna sighed, perfectly expecting that reply.

Hearing the sigh, Arles immediately looked back up at her and began to blurt out his next words more nervously hoping to remedy something. "No, Lorna! It's not really that…that I don't want you around or anything…" Arles whispered lowly. "It's more…I guess it's more that I…I don't know what to do, what to react. Well, how to…reply to you."

"What do you mean?"

Arles gave a long, wistful sigh in reply and recomposed himself slightly. "If…I guess you can say I'm…shy, I guess. I've never had anybody become that attached to me before…never…I guess when you kept trying to cling onto me I…I got scared. I didn't know how to think. And that night when you told me that you loved…"

Lorna shook her head quickly, forcedly. "I know, Arles." Lorna whispered back miserably. "I'm sorry I scared you."

"I should be the one apologizing. To you, Lorna."

Now surprised, Lorna looked back onto Arles with widened eyes and almost let out a gasp. "Why?"

"I…I guess I never thought you meant what you said you felt for me." Arles sighed and finally stated firmly, and as he did, Lorna felt herself lighten considerably, forgetting momentarily her own faults. "…I never thought you were actually serious, and if I did, I swear that I would've answered differently. I didn't mean to hurt you, Lorna. I didn't want to. I'm…sorry."

Lorna sighed more contently than anything else; the thought that she was making Arles feel embarassed and that he didn't want anything to do with her at all plagued her most after what happened a night ago, and hearing that it was not the case at all finally made Lorna feel much less guilty. Thankful for his words, Lorna took an involuntary step forward towards Arles and wanted to hug him, but held herself back remembering what she shouldn't be doing now; things had just turned for the better to Lorna, and there was no way she was going to risk that, having learned something.

"Thank…thank you, Arles. I'm really happy you told me all this." Lorna replied more firmly, and smiled warmly at him for the first time since a night ago. "I'm sorry, too, and I understand now. About you, being…being scared. I had no right to try to grab your attention so persistently."

Arles shook his head and smiled back wistfully. "Lorna…there's something else I have to tell you."

Lorna took a deep breath and let herself listen.

"I…I know how you feel about me, and…and I wish I could tell you the same thing, Lorna. I wish that I could do that if only to cheer you up." Arles explained, and Lorna replied with a slight frown. "But…you know I can't. I know I can't, because to do that would be lying to you. I guess I don't feel…feel that I love you as much as you feel that you love me, Lorna."

Lorna gave a reluctant nod of acknowledgement and forced herself, despite her heart sinking, to listen.

"But…" Arles quickly continued, and Lorna looked at him intently to hear. "…but I do like you, Lorna, even if it's not love or anything close to it. And even if I don't…" Arles shuffled with slight unease, but Lorna didn't seem to mind anymore. "…You're a good friend to have and I…and I don't want to lose you as one, Lorna. Perhaps maybe some other time I'll find myself feeling the same way about you, and maybe then…"

Lorna smiled in understanding and reached out a hand towards Arles's shoulder. As her hand touched him, Arles seemed to shiver and tense only for a second, but otherwise relaxed onto her grip. Lorna nodded. "I understand, Arles. You're a good friend, too…and even if it stays only that way, I'll still be glad I have you..."

"Thanks for understanding, Lorna."

"It's…it's my pleasure."

"Lorna! The boat's going to leave soon! Are you and Arles done yet?" Helia called out from behind her and, quickly in a bit of panic and slightly blushing pink, Lorna and Arles looked back at the boat and back to each other. Neither said anything for a moment as they looked awkwardly at each other and, after some time, Lorna finally took a step back.

"I…I guess I'm going now, Arles. I'll…I'll be seeing you someday." Lorna said with a tinge of sadness and, however unwilling now, turned away towards the boat to leave. Arles took a quick step forward towards her in response and reached out with a hand gesturing for her to stop.

"Lorna, wait!" Arles called out, and Lorna almost gladly turned to look at him again. She was no longer miserable due to being pushed away or embarassed knowing that she was making Arles feel awkward around her, but was now more vibrant and internally stronger, like she always had been despite being a knight. There was little that was bothering Lorna now about how she felt about Arles, being told that she was right to feel for him, and Lorna knew it. Now, if anything, Lorna's remaining sadness was due to leaving him.

"I'm…not asking you to stay, because I can't, but…" Arles began, took a good breath to settle himself, and finished his question. "…but will I see you again in Lortadia some other time, Lorna?"

Lorna nodded gladly, having just heard the last thing she needed to hear --- that she was welcome in Lortadia and would be in the future --- and feeling even better because of it. "I guess…I'm sure you will, Arles. Some other time." Lorna answered, and smiled light-heartedly in reply. "Well, if you want me to come back, that is."

For that one time, Arles nodded more surely and smiled warmly at the lady knight. "I do."

And seeing Arles give a smile and nod of his own, Lorna knew that she couldn't wait for the next chance to fulfill his request of her, and realized well that for all the time she had ever spent in Lortadia, this was indeed the best one she had yet.

"Then it's a promise, Arles?"

"It's a promise, Lorna." Arles replied softly, and Lorna embraced him. "It's a promise."

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From some distance away looking at Lorna and Arles, both Saul and Helia shared a smile. Although neither were sure about themselves and each other, they knew that at least for them, the problems between their friends had at least been solved beautifully. Saul smilingly knew he would at least have a good bunch of questions he would like to ask of Arles about Lorna, and Helia, holding back giggles, held back comments about just how much, when it comes to having love-hate problems, do Arles and Lorna really act like an actual married couple.

Merely the lone prospect of giving Arles and Lorna no end to playful comments about them together brought wide smiles to Saul and Helia's faces.

Besides that, though, Helia knew gladly that it would be more than her pleasure, and Lorna's, to help the lady knight fulfill whatever promise she had made the next time she would come back to Lortadia. For both Lorna and her, Helia was sure, their next trip to Lortadia would certainly, at least, be much better and much more joyful than this one first time, and both Lorna and herself would be looking dearly forward to it.

Only now, Lorna could easily wait for him. Arles knew how she felt for him, and accepted it, and although Lorna knew he didn't feel the same way that would be enough for now. Learning to be patient, Lorna was sure that someday, sometime, Arles will feel the same way for her, and when that day does come it would be Lorna's happiest. All she had to do was be patient, and persistent.

The next time, Lorna would be persistent and patient for Arles in all the right ways, and she was not only definitely sure of that but was also cheerily confident that someday, be it a week or two, or years, Lorna's right persistance will finally bring about what she would be dreaming about in the days ahead of her; And as for when she may finally reach that dream of being with Arles, Lorna would gladly leave that to time.


End file.
